1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to motor vehicle roofs with a roof opening and a movable cover which covers the roof opening, the cover being selectively movable to at least partially clear the roof opening. More particularly, the present invention relates to such motor vehicle roofs which include a sealing element with an integrated sensor for sensing an object being pinched between the roof opening and the cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a motor vehicle roof of the type to which this invention is directed is illustrated in the German Patent DE 37 06 450 C2, which shows a sliding roof without a movable headliner. The sealing element which is mounted on a stationary roof part which projects into the roof opening, is made in two parts, the sensor being made as an air-filled tube with pressure which is sensed. The tube is pushed via a corresponding recess which runs in the transverse direction into the sealing element which has an additional air tube for sealing purposes. Yet another additional seal, which also has an air tube which runs in the transverse direction, is attached on the edge of the roof opening which frontally adjoins the front edge of the cover when the roof is closed position thereby sealing the motor vehicle roof. The limitation of this openable motor vehicle roof is that it is not possible to selectively change the light incidence with the cover closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,060 discloses a motor vehicle roof including a cover which can be moved in order to at least partially clear an opening in the solid roof panel and which can also be swivelled out into a ventilation position with the rear edge of the cover protruding upward. This reference also discloses a sealing element which is attached to the front edge of the cover which adjoins the opening edge when the cover is closed in order to seal the motor vehicle interior. A sensor with two opposite electrodes is integrated into the sealing element and when a force exceeding the threshold value acts upon the sensor, the electrodes come into contact with one another due to the resulting deformation, thereby indicating the pinching of an article between the front edge of the cover and the opening edge. Furthermore, this reference discloses a movable headliner which is located underneath the roof opening movable to cover the roof opening or at least to partially clear it. The limitation of this openable motor vehicle roof is that by attaching the sealing element to the cover, the moving mass of the cover is increased and the thickness of the front edge of the cover is also increased. In addition, another limitation is that there is no protection against pinching with respect to the movable headliner.